Folding seed box with fork lift base

ABSTRACT

A collapsible bulk container for dry, flowable particulate material is provided with a frame to support a bottom wall having a discharge opening and a gate moveable between opened and closed positions relative to the discharge opening. Four side walls are pivotally connected to the frame, with the pivot axes being at different elevations, such that the side walls can be folded between an upright use position and a substantially flat storage position. A lid is pivotally connected to opposite side walls for moving between an open position adjacent the connected side wall and a closed position over the bottom wall. Multiple containers can be stacked one upon another in both the use and storage positions. The base or frame of the container can receive forks from a lift truck on all four sides of the container.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 12/684,670filed Jan. 8, 2010, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Collapsible and folding containers are known in the art for storingbulk, dry, flowable particulate material, such as agricultural seeds.For example, the Buckhorn SeedBox container has telescoping side wallsformed by a lower box portion and an upper ring portion, wherein theupper ring portion is inverted for nesting around the lower box walls.The Buckhorn container requires two people for setup and breakdown. Thenested, collapsed height of the Buckhorn container is approximately 40%of the full height used for storing seed. The Buckhorn container alsohas a lid which must be completely removed before the container iscollapsed and re-mounted after the container is erected.

Other types of bulk containers are also known in the art which havewalls that can be disassembled for storage and erected for use. However,these containers do not have bottom discharge openings for dispensingmaterial and do not have permanently attached lids or covers.

Some prior art contains are adapted to receive the forks of a forklifttruck. Typically, the fork slots allow entry of the forks from only oneside, and sometimes from the opposite side, but not from all four sides.The inability to pick up the container from any side limits theversatility and use of the containers.

Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is the provisionof an improved folding bulk container for particulate material.

Another objective of the present invention is the provision of animproved seed box having folding side walls.

Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a bulkcontainer which can be quickly and easily folded between a compactstorage condition and an upright use position.

Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of afolding seed box having a hinged lid permanently mounted to the box.

Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a foldingbulk container having a bottom opening for discharge of particulatematerial from the container.

A further objective of the present invention is the provision ofcollapsible bulk seed container having a sloped bottom wall.

Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision of afolding seed box which can be converted between use and storagepositions by one person.

Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of afolding seed box having one or more lid panels.

A further objective of the present invention is the provision of afolding seed box having a lid hinged to one of the side walls.

Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a foldingseed box having a base adapted to receive the forks of a lift truck fromany of the four sides of the box.

A further objective of the present invention is the provision of animproved bulk container wherein the base is free from obstructions whichpreclude use of a forklift from any side of the container.

Another objective of the present invention is the provision of animproved bulk container which is economical to manufacture, and durableand safe in use.

These and other objectives will become apparent from the followingdescription of the invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The improved foldable bulk container of the present invention includes aframe which supports a bottom wall having a discharge opening. A gate isprovided in the bottom wall for opening and closing the dischargeoutlet. Four side walls are pivotally connected to the frame, formovement between an upright use position and a folded storage position.Removable pins lock the side walls together when the walls are foldedupward to the use position. Each side wall pivots at a differentelevation above the bottom wall such that the side walls fold downsubstantially flat, one upon another, in the storage position. A lid isformed in two sections which are pivotally connected to opposite sidewalls for folding between an open position adjacent the side wall and aclosed position over the bottom wall. Multiple folding containers can bestacked on top of each other in both the use and storage positions.

In an alternative embodiment, the improved foldable bulk container ofthe present invention has a single lid hinged to one side wall forfolding between open and closed positions. The walls are held in theupright position by removable pins, or alternatively, by spring biasedlock arms. The pins can be quickly removed, or alternatively the lockarms can be quickly disengaged, to allow the walls to fold down.

Still another alternative embodiment of the container has a base withfork lift slots on each side. The base, which is free from obstructions,allows a lift truck to approach a container from any side, with theforks being received in the respective slots, without interference, forlifting the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the folding bulk container of thepresent invention with the walls in the upright, use position and thelid sections closed.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container and the first fold downstep with one lid panel opened.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the container and the second fold downstep, with the second lid panel opened.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the container and the third fold downstep, with one side wall folded inward.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the container and the fourth folddown step, with the second side wall folded inwardly.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the container and the fifth fold downstep, with the third side wall folded inwardly.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the container and the sixth fold downstep, with the fourth side wall folded inwardly, such that the containeris in a storage condition.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of the container with the side wallsfolded up in the use position.

FIG. 9 is an end elevation view of the container with the side wallsfolded up in the used position.

FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view of the container with the gate in theclosed position.

FIG. 11 is a side elevation view of the container with the walls foldeddown in the storage position.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged view showing a corner joint of the erected sidewalls with a locking pin in place.

FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 12 showing the locking pin retractedso that the walls can be folded down.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of thefolding bulk container according to the present invention, with a singlepanel lid and an improved forklift base.

FIG. 15 is a side elevation view of the container shown in FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is an end elevation view of the container shown in FIG. 14.

FIG. 17 is a top plan view of the container shown in FIG. 14.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing the first fold down step for thecontainer of FIG. 14, with the lid folded open.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing the second fold down step of thecontainer of FIG. 14, with one end wall folded down.

FIG. 20 is a view showing the third fold down step, with the oppositeend wall folded down for the container of FIG. 14.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing the fourth fold down step, withone of the side walls of the container of FIG. 14 folded down.

FIG. 22 is a perspective view showing the fifth fold down step, with thesecond side wall of the container of FIG. 14 folded down.

FIG. 23 is an enlarged view of one corner of the container, taken alongline 23-23 of FIG. 18.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The improved folding bulk container or seed box of the present inventionis generally designated in the drawings by the reference numeral 10. Thecontainer includes a base or frame 12 with four corner legs 14. Theframe 12 supports a bottom wall 16 which has a discharge outlet oropening 18 with a gate 20 moveable between open and closed positionsrelative to the discharge opening 18. Preferably, the gate is manuallymoveable between the open and closed positions, though a powered gatemay also be provided. The bottom wall 16 includes sloped segments, asseen in FIGS. 8-11, so that particulate material in the container canflow to the discharge opening 18.

Four side walls 22, 24, 26 and 28 are pivotally connected to the frameadjacent their lower ends so as to be moveable between a raised, uprightuse position and a collapsed storage position. The pivot axes of thewalls are at different elevations, so that the walls can be sequentiallyfolded downwardly from the use position to the storage position and laysubstantially flat, one upon another, as seen in FIG. 7.

The container 10 also includes a lid or cover, which preferably isformed in two halves by panels 30, 32. Each panel 30, 32 is pivotallyconnected to the opposing third and fourth side walls 26, 28,respectively, so that the panels 30, 32 can be folded between a useposition over the bottom wall 16 to cover the contents of the container,and a storage position adjacent the respective side walls, 30, 32.

The process for folding the container 10 from the use position shown inFIG. 1 to the storage position shown in FIG. 7 involves the followingsteps. First, the first lid panel 30 is folded open from the horizontaluse position above the bottom wall 16 to a vertical position adjacentthe third side wall 26, as shown in FIG. 2. Then, the second lid panel32 is folded open from the horizontal use position over the bottom wall16 to a vertical position adjacent the side wall 28, as shown in FIG. 3.Then, the first side or end wall 22 is folded downwardly from a verticaluse position to a substantially horizontal storage position, as seen inFIG. 4. Next, the second side or end wall 24 is folded down from avertical use position to a substantially horizontal storage position ontop of the first side wall 22, as shown in FIG. 5. Then, the third sidewall 26 is folded down from a vertical use position to a substantiallyhorizontal storage position on top of the second side wall 24, as shownin FIG. 6. Last, the fourth side wall 28 is folded down from a verticaluse position to a substantially horizontal storage position on top ofthe third side wall 26, as shown in FIG. 7. The side walls 22, 24, 26,and 28 and the lid panels 30, 32 stacks within the frame 12 in thestorage position, without detaching the walls from the frame or the lidpanels from the walls 26, 28. The steps are reversed to convert thecontainer from the storage position to the use position.

FIGS. 12 and 13 show one of the corners of the container 10 when thewalls 22-28 are erected in the used position. All four corners areidentical. More particularly, each of the first and second side or endwalls 22, 24 has a tube or post 34 at the opposite lateral edges. Thethird and fourth side walls 26, 28 each have L-shaped channels orflanges 36 at the opposite side edges. The corner posts 34 are receivedin the corner channels 36 when the walls 22-28 are upright. Alignedholes 38 in the post 34 and channel 36 allow a locking pin 40 to beinserted therethrough so as to maintain the walls in their uprightposition. The pins 40 are pulled from the holes 38 before the walls arefolded down. Preferably, the first and second side or end walls 22, 24have a horizontally disposed tubular sleeve 42 for guiding the pin 40,and a pin retention tab 44 which prevents the pin 40 from beingcompletely removed from the sleeve 42 when withdrawn from the holes 38.Therefore, the pin 40 cannot be accidently disconnected from the walls22, 24, or otherwise lost.

Multiple containers 10 can be stacked one upon another in both the useand storage positions. The corner posts 34 and channels 36 providestructural support for stacked containers in the use position. The uppercorners 46 of the frame 12 supports stacked containers in the storageposition.

The height of the walls 22-28 is slightly less than the width of thecontainer 10. When the walls 22-28 are folded down into the storageposition, the height of the container 10 is less than half of the heightof the container when the walls are folded up to the use position. Thus,the container 10 can be collapsed to substantially shorter height forshipping and storage. The ability to stack the containers minimizesspace requirements during transport and storage. The frame 12 allows thecontainers to be moved, stacked and unstacked using a fork lift.

Preferably, the walls 22-28 and the lid panels 30-32 are made of steel,or other lightweight, yet thin material which has strength anddurability. The container 10 can replace or eliminate use of large bulkseed bags and the known problems associated with handling of such bags.

The hinged design of the container, walls, and lid panels permit oneperson to assemble and breakdown the container by simply pivoting onepanel or side wall of the container at a time. Also, the permanentpivotal connection of the lid panels 30, 32 to the side walls 26, 28eliminates the danger of the lid blowing off of the container intransit. The sloped bottom wall design eliminates particulate materialfrom becoming stuck in the corners of the container 10 and creates asteady discharge flow of material while unloading.

A farmer can take the loaded container 10 directly to the field on atrailer, cart, or in a bed of a pickup truck for loading into a seedtender dispenser or directly into a seed planter.

The invention has been shown and described above with the preferredembodiments, and it is understood that many modifications,substitutions, and additions may be made which are within the intendedspirit and scope of the invention. For example, alternative cornerstructure and locking means may be utilized, as opposed to the posts 34,channels 36 and pins 40, shown in the drawings. Also, the dimensions ofthe container 10 may be varied, as desired.

FIGS. 14-23 show an alternative embodiment of the folding particulatematerial container 10A according to the present invention. The containeror seed box 10A of the alternative embodiment is substantially similarto the container or box 10 shown in FIGS. 1-13 including the base 12A,the legs 14A, the bottom wall 16A with a discharge opening 18A, and thefour side walls 22A, 24A, 26A, and 28A. The side walls 22A-28A arepivotally connected to the frame adjacent their lower ends so as to bemoveable between a raised, upright use position and a folded orcollapsed storage position. The pivot axes of the walls 22A-28A are atdifferent elevations, so that the walls can be sequentially foldeddownwardly from the use position shown in FIG. 14 to the storageposition shown in FIG. 22, with the walls 22A-28A lying substantiallyflat, one upon the other.

One of the differences between the container or box 10A, as compared tothe box 10, is that the base 12A includes rails 50 extending betweeneach of the legs 14A, with each rail 50 having a pair of notches orslots 52 for receiving the forks of a forklift truck (not shown). Thus,a forklift can be driven up to any side of the container 10A, and theforks inserted through the slots 52 to lift the container 10A. Thecontainer 10A is free of any interfering structure which would preventthe forks from being fully inserted from any side of the container.

The lid 30A of the container 10A is formed as a single panel, incomparison to the dual panels 30, 32 of the container 10. The lid orcover 30A is hinged to one of the side walls 22A-28A for movementbetween a use position covering the contents of the container, and afolded lowered position adjacent the attached side wall.

Another difference between the containers 10 and 10A is the structure ofthe corners of the containers. In the container 10A, the opposite edgesof each wall 22A, 24A include a vertically extending lip 54 adapted tobe received in a C-shaped flange 56 on the opposite edges of each sidewall 26A, 28A. The lip 54 and flange 56 form a tongue and groove-typeassembly. The lock pin 40 of the container 10 has been replaced with asliding lock member or arm 40A on the container 10A. The lock arm 40A isslidably mounted in a bracket 58 on the side walls 22A, 24A and ismovable between a locked position engaging the flange 56 and an unlockedposition disengaged from the flange 56. The lock arm 48 is biased by aspring 60 to the locked position.

The container 10A folds down in a manner substantially identical to thefolding action of the container 10, except that there is a single lid30A, as opposed to the dual lids 30, 32. The fold down sequence is shownin FIGS. 18-22, and is reverse to fold the container 10A up from thestorage position to the use position.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present inventionaccomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.

1. A particulate material container, comprising: a four-sided base; abottom wall mounted to the base and having an outlet; four side wallshinged to the base for pivotal movement between a raised use positionand a lowered storage position; a lid hinged to one of the side wallsfor pivotal movement between storage and use positions; and the basehaving a pair of slots on each side so that lift forks can be receivedon each side without interference from the bottom wall.
 2. Theparticulate material container of claim 1 wherein the side walls folddown to stack flat one above another in the storage position.
 3. Theparticulate material container of claim 1 wherein each side wall has apivot axis, and the pivot axes are vertically offset with respect to oneanother.
 4. The particulate material container of claim 1 wherein theside walls are locked together in the use position and unlocked from oneanother in the storage position.
 5. The particulate material containerof claim 1 wherein adjacent side walls form a corner for the container,with an edge of one of the side walls overlapping an edge of the otheradjacent side wall.
 6. The particulate material container of claim 5further comprising a lock member on the other side wall moveable betweenengaged and disengaged positions relative to the overlapped edge of theone side wall.
 7. The particulate material container of claim 5 whereinthe corner has a tongue and groove assembly for the overlapped edges. 8.The particulate material container of claim 5 wherein the one side wallhas a C-shaped flange and the other side wall has a lip receivable inthe flange.
 9. The particulate material container of claim 8 furthercomprising a lock arm releasably engaging the flange to retain theadjacent side walls in the use position.
 10. The particulate materialcontainer of claim 1 wherein the base includes four corner legssupporting the side walls and four perimeter rails extending between thelegs, with the pair of slots being formed in each rail.
 11. Aparticulate material container for particulate material, comprising: abottom wall; a top wall; four side walls extending between the top andbottom walls and having upper and lower edges and opposite lateraledges; the top wall being pivotally connected adjacent the upper edge ofone of the side walls for movement between a use position over thebottom wall and a storage position adjacent the one side wall; the sidewalls each being pivotal about the lower edges for movement between asubstantially vertical use position and a substantially horizontalstorage position; the side walls forming four corners of the container,with each corner having an overlapping edge and an overlapped edge ofadjacent side walls; and a lock member adjacent each overlapped edge,moveable between locked and unlocked positions relative to theoverlapping edge.
 12. The particulate material container of claim 11wherein the side walls fold down to stack flat one above another in thestorage position.
 13. The particulate material container of claim 11wherein each side wall has a pivot axis, and the pivot axes arevertically offset with respect to one another.
 14. The particulatematerial container of claim 11 further comprising a base to which thebottom wall and side walls are mounted.
 15. The particulate materialcontainer of claim 11 wherein the base having a pair of slots on eachside so that lift forks can be received on each side withoutinterference from the bottom wall.
 16. The foldable container of claim11 wherein the bottom wall includes a discharge opening.
 17. Thefoldable container of claim 16 wherein the bottom wall is slopeddownwardly toward the discharge opening.
 18. The particulate materialcontainer of claim 11 wherein the corner has a tongue and grooveassembly for the overlapped edges.
 19. The particulate materialcontainer of claim 11 wherein the one side wall has a C-shaped flangeand the other side wall has a lip receivable in the flange.
 20. Theparticulate material container of claim 19 wherein the lock member ismounted on the other side wall, and engages the flange in the lockedposition and disengages the flange in the unlocked position.